Until You're Absolutely Sick of Me: Mature Version
by katn1p
Summary: In the privileged and wealthy District One, Emerald, Glimmer's younger sister falls madly in love with the boy who is doomed to die: Marvel.
1. First Encounter

**Author's Note: This is the second version of this story. It's basically the same as the Teen version, with the exception of a few scenes that are mature. I wanted to write a story that would be accessible to a wide audience, but I also can't help myself when it comes to writing guilty pleasure scenes, so I compromised with myself and decided to make two versions of my story. **

A flirtatious giggle, a flip of the hair – that's how she entrances them. Emerald watches on as her older sister, Glimmer, stands at the side of the room, talking to a couple of boys in year 13. _I don't know how she does it._ The look on her face is a mixture of envy and disgust, on one hand, she hates how easily ensnared men can be by her sister's smile, and on the other, she wishes she wielded that kind of power. "Emerald. You need to focus." Emerald snaps out of her daze, quickly looking back at her trainer. "Honestly, if you just put your mind to it, you'd be better than most of the others." She shakes her head, trying to clear her mind of her other thoughts, "you're right, sorry, Ivory." She narrows her eyes, holding up her spear, she thrusts it forward and watches as it makes contact with the target dummy situated 100 feet away from her. "Good," Ivory gives Emerald a supportive pat on the back, jogging over to the dummy to retrieve her spear from her.

As her trainer readies the next set of exercises, she lets her gaze wander back over to where Glimmer is standing. Only one boy remains now, the other one must have wandered off somewhere. This boy, she knows him, or at least she thinks she does. She recognizes his face somewhere but she can't place it. After a few minutes of searching the darkest recesses of her mind, she realizes why he looks so familiar: he's the son of Silk, the victor of the 54th games. His name's Marvel, or at least she thinks it is.

He's handsome, this Marvel boy, but in a strange way. His face isn't what she'd normally be attracted to, but there's something about the way he carries himself that draws her to him. Maybe it's the way he stands: shoulder's back, chin up. But he's wealthy, and cocky, and falling for someone in this district is dangerous – you never know when you'll be pitted against him or her. She allows herself a few more seconds of examining him before forcing herself to get back to her training. "Ivory!" Emerald calls over to her trainer, jogging over to where she's standing near the knives. Ivory's head snaps up, and she waits as Emerald closes the gap between them. "Why are we working with the knives? I thought you said we'd focus more on spears than knives?" Ivory shakes her head, polishing the pointed blade of a throwing knife. "No, you're already strong in spears, we need to work on your weakness." Emerald sighs, nodding in assent and following Ivory onto a mat where a few other dummies are set up with targets on them.

She practices throwing her knives for a half an hour before Ivory tells her it's time to go. She's glad for the reprieve; it's been a long day. She jogs over to the cubbies and grabs her duffel bag. She turns to look at Glimmer, who is still flirting with Marvel. _Ugh._ She knows that Glimmer's only getting close to him because he's a victor's son, and being a victor's son means that he's got the best accommodations in the district, save the mayor. It's not that her family was poor, far from it in fact, it's just that the life of a victor was so much more luxurious than that of a diamond cutters and a jeweler. She walks over to where they're standing near the entrance. "Glim," she calls out, hoping to alert her sister that it's time to go. Glimmer waves her hand, telling her to wait. She sighs, marching up to her, "Glim, we have to go." Glimmer just rolls her eyes, "Marvel, hold on a sec, I'm sorry," she turns to Emerald, "Emmie, calm down, just give me a few minutes." Emerald looks up and finds Marvel looking at her, an odd expression playing across her face. He shakes his head, "don't worry about it, I actually have to get back to the village." Glimmer's face lights up at that word – village – it's as if the mere mentioning of the fabulous part of the district Marvel lives in is enough to excite her.

As soon as Marvel is out of earshot, Glimmer turns to me, anger morphing her usually serene features. "You brat, I was obviously talking to him. You ruined everything!" Emerald rolls her eyes, "I highly doubt I ruined _anything_. Like you'll have a problem attracting him." She turns on her heels, ignoring her seething sister, and walks out of the training complex.


	2. First Impression

She's not ugly, no, not ugly at all, actually. It's only in comparison to her older sister that she falls short. But then again, most fall short in comparison to Glimmer. Emerald stares at herself in the bathroom mirror; with long, golden-blonde hair and shimmering green eyes – eyes that are the reason behind her name – she is truly beautiful. She possesses the same dazzling smile as her sister, the same slender physique; the only real difference is the self-confidence. What makes Glimmer truly beautiful is the fact that she is 100% positive of her beauty, she is the epitome of confidence and grace.

She combs out her long locks, braiding her hail into two fishtails – this is her usual hairstyle, a hairstyle her sister stole and perfected – and walks out of the bathroom into her bedroom. Grabbing her duffel bag from her dresser, she heads to the training complex to practice.

When she arrives, she's relieved to find that she's the only one there with the exception of a few trainers working behind desks in the back office. She puts her things down, getting her boots on and pulling her favorite spear off of its rack on the wall. She practices her throwing for a while: alternating between throwing from short and long distances, throwing while in motion, and doing her personal favorite, a tuck-and-roll followed by a throw straight into the bulls eye of the dummy. She is lost in her throwing – her spear is like an extension of her arm – her ability is what puts her at the top of her class in year 12, it's unlike that of any of the other 16-year-olds.

"Bravo." Marvel stands at the edge of the mat, his hands coming together for five short claps. Emerald stiffens – she didn't know she had had a spectator. "I'm just finishing up, if you were waiting for the dummy." He shakes his head, "no, no, continue." He gestures to her spear, "I want to see more." Her face suddenly grows hot – her sister is the one who knows how to interact with boys, not her. While her sister had focused on male attention, she had focused on her training. "Like I said…I'm just finishing up." She drops her spear down to her side, walking towards the cubbies. "Wait," Marvel calls after her, jogging to her side. "You're Glimmer's sister, right?" Of course, of course he would only know of her in relation to Glimmer. "Emerald," she states, perhaps a little too angrily because he laughs, putting his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, I'm just asking, don't get worked up." She hates the way his easy demeanor adds to his charming nature, and she hates that she finds herself flustered around him. "That was some pretty impressive throwing back there, you've got an amazing arm." She shrugs, "thanks, I've just practiced a lot." She hangs the spear back up on the rack as he shakes his head, "no, some things are just…ingrained in you…sometimes you're just born with natural ability. I would know, I have it too." He winks at her and she shoots him a weird look, why is he talking to her? Shouldn't he be focusing on his own training? She figures he'll volunteer for this year's games, it's almost his last year to do so and from what she's heard of him, he's probably just itching to get in on the action. "Why are you here?" He grins, "Same reason as you, wanted to do some extra practice." She nods, "right, well, I'll let you start your training and I'll get back to mine." She goes over to where the throwing knives are, examining each blade to see which one she wants to practice with. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him throw a spear into a dummy that has to be at least 150 feet away. Her jaw drops, she's never seen someone more talented at throwing spears than her. He looks over to where she is, noticing her impressed expression, and winks at her. She looks back down at her knives, making a concerted effort to seem engrossed in her knives.

They both practice in silence off in their own corners of the complex, but she can't help notice his strength and agility, and she can't help but be impressed by the way he's able to sprint faster than anyone she's ever known, and throw long distances with precision.

She's walking out the door of the complex, duffel in hand, when he calls after her, "Emerald." She turns her head, and sees him running to catch up with her. "Yes?" He grins, falling into step with her. "You're tough to read," she raises an eyebrow at him, _why is he trying to read me in the first place? _"I could help you with your knife throwing-" she cuts him off, "thanks, but I have Ivory for that." He laughs, obviously unfazed by her rejection. She quickens her pace, but he matches it. She turns to face him, confused and irritated, "look, I'm not going to put in a good wood for you with Glimmer, so you can stop trying, OK?" He laughs, only upsetting her more, "Don't you think that if I was into Glimmer, I would just talk to her?" Emerald looks up at him, unsure of what to say, _if he isn't interested in Glimmer, why is he talking to her?_ She won't let herself come to the conclusion that he might be interested in her, because in the off chance he's not it would humiliate her. She realizes too much silence has passed, so she puffs up her chest, refusing to be made a fool of, "Right, well, sorry you're not interested in her, you might just be the only person that's not. Goodbye, Marvel." She turns to walk away from him, but he grabs her wrist and pulls her closer. Pushing her against the side of the training complex, one hand resting on the wall, next to her head, the other resting on her waist, he kisses her. Her first reaction is surprise, her second is to become caught up in the kiss, and her third, once she realizes how enjoyable it is, is to push him away. He allows himself to be pushed away, a smug grin playing on his face. She wants to be angry, but deep down, that felt wonderful. "I have to go," she mumbles. She's too flustered to even hide her emotions and be proud, she hurries off, and he lets her.


	3. Beginnings

She's not exactly sure how that one kiss led to so many more. It didn't happen in the usual way, the way that she'd seen in the occasional holo playing on the big screen in front of the justice building, or the way she'd seen it happen to Glimmer thousands and thousands of times. It just started where he would run to catch up with her after her training, and they would sneak away to someplace private, and kiss for a bit. It wasn't exactly the most romantic situation, and they didn't even talk at all, she just knew she enjoyed it.

She doesn't dare tell anyone, and one of the few times they did actually speak to each other, she told him not to tell anyone either. It wasn't that she was embarrassed – no, far from it, actually – she just didn't want to deal with the aftermath of a romance with someone with his status, plus she didn't exactly know what to call them: boyfriend and girlfriend? No. Kiss-buddies? Laughable.

On one particularly nice day, when the weather is crisp and the air smells like flowers, and Marvel is kissing her neck, Emerald realizes she never asked the question that had been playing at her mind since their first meeting: _why me? Why not my sister?_ She clears her throat slightly, bringing his attention back to reality. "Marvel?" It comes out more like a whisper, and she clears her throat again to make her voice stronger. He raises an eyebrow, pulling away slightly, "yeah?" "Can I ask you something?" He grins, "don't tell me you want conversation now, too." It's a harmless joke, and honestly within his character – he's always cracking jokes – but it still stings a bit because the truth is, while she doesn't know what she wants, she knows she wants more than just stolen kisses behind the training complex or in the school gardens. "No, be serious right now." He furrows his brow, finally realizing that she's not in the mood for his nonchalance. "Fine, what is it?" She sighs, "I always kind of wanted to know…why me? Why not Glimmer?" He smiles, shaking his head, and leans in to kiss her forehead, "I_ always_ want the best, and you're it." She cocks her head to the side, the realization of what he's saying sinks in: he's telling her she's better than her sister, something that's never been said to her in her entire life. "You think she's prettier? Better? False. She may be pretty, but you're equally so, and your ability with spears is…" he laughs, "unbelievably sexy." He leans in and kisses her softly, "you're really something," he whispers into her lips. It's a rare moment, a moment when Marvel is being completely sincere and sweet, and she's caught off guard.

It takes her a moment to formulate her thoughts, but she now knows what she wants. "Marvel," she closes the gap between their lips, kissing him, and she pulls away again, wrapping her arms around his neck, "maybe I do want conversation? I mean, maybe I do want…more than this." He looks at her, their eyes locked, and for a second she thinks she's gone too far, that he's going to laugh in her face. She begins turning her head away when he catches it with his hand and turns it back to him, "hey, no going back on those words, now." She looks at him, confused, and he grins, "let's do it."

That's how it becomes official. It's still not the most romantic situation, but what they are solidifies and becomes something real. The adjustment period is strange and rocky, with neither of them knowing how to reveal the nature of their relationship without inviting the prying eyes of their classmates into their life.

Their first public kiss happens in the training complex. She's waiting on the side for her sister to finish her shooting practice, trying not to laugh at how pathetic it is. Her sister is talented, just not with a bow and arrow. She watches the way her sister's arrows continuously hit the sides of the target dummy, and watches, as she grows increasingly frustrated. She stands up, organizing the inside of her duffel when she feels a hand on her waist. She turns and finds Marvel, looking down at her with a smile on his face. "Hey," she says, quietly, placing her hand on his. "Haven't seen you in a few days, we have lots of kissing to make up on," she laughs, rolling her eyes at him. "You're ridiculous," he nods, "yeah, but you knew that going in." She smiles at him, and he leans down, his hand cupping her face, and kisses her. A few seconds into the kiss, Emerald notices how silent it's gotten in the complex. They both break away at the same time, and look around the room. She's embarrassed, but he grins, _there's that cockiness_, she thinks to herself, but if she's being totally honest with herself, his arrogance is one of the reasons she's so attracted to him. She avoids making eye contact with Glimmer; she already knows she'll have to face her temper later that night.


	4. The Family

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! It's been a crazy couple of days with lots of homework and lots of movie watching. Thanks to the people that reviewed, any review really helps and I appreciate all of them!**

"What do you think you'll do when you win?" They're sitting underneath a tree, his head in her lap as she leans against the trunk. It's beautiful outside, with the birds flying about and the trees in full bloom. He tilts his head to look up at her, shading his face from the sun with his hands, "I suppose I'll just continue doing what I do now." She nods; looking up at a particularly colorful bird perched on a branch above them. "I'll practice my throwing, maybe pick up a hobby…I'll have to have a talent." She nods, absent-mindedly playing with his hair, tucking it behind his ears. "Oh, and you," she looks down at him and smiles, "yeah, what about me?" He laughs, "I'll get my fill of you. Without a job, there'll be nothing to occupy my time except you, I'll be around until you're absolutely sick of me." She laughs, bending down and kissing him. "I'll never be sick of you," she kisses him again, smiling into the kiss. "What do you think your talent will be?" He smirks, "kissing, of course," she punches him lightly on the arm, "I highly doubt that's considered a talent…and besides, your talent has to be something you're good at, something you're _talented_ at." He feigns offense, "hey, I don't see you complaining. I'm the best kisser." She laughs, shrugging her shoulders, "yes, maybe…perhaps, yes." He grins, lifting his head up so he can kiss her again, "you're not so bad yourself, you know. You could probably make it your talent when you win, too." She smiles, "imagine, us being crowned victors in consecutive years." He sits up, and she leans against him, curling herself into his chest. "We'd have two homes in the village, what would we do with all the space?" She laughs, "We could have a house completely dedicated to practicing our throwing. We could have spears, and we could knock down all the walls and just have a huge training area." He kisses the top of her head, and wraps an arm around her. He looks down at his watch, "shoot, mother wanted us to go back to the house at five, it's four-fifty now." She stands up, reaching out her arms so that she can help pull him up. "We can make it," she grins, "I'll race you!" She taps him on the nose playfully and laughs, taking off in a sprint. "Watch it, Em, you know I'm faster!" She laughs, turning her head and sticking out her tongue at him.

They arrive in front of his mansion in eight minutes, with him beating her as usual. She waves him off, dismissing his victory, "I always let you win, and I don't want your ego to take a beating." He laughs, shaking his head, "for such a beautiful girl, you're such an ugly loser." She pushes him, and he wraps his arms around her, picking her up. She shrieks, and they play in the yard for a few minutes, laughing and crying out, before she notices Silk, his mother, standing on the front porch. "Marvel," she taps him, "Marvel, stop." He looks up, and puts her down when he sees his mother. "Mother," he grins, slightly out of breath, "Really, Marvel, you don't have to make a scene everywhere you go. Wash up and both of you come inside for dinner, " she nods at both of them, walking back inside. Emerald looks up at him, red faced and panting, and they both try not to laugh. He gives her a quick peck before they both follow Silk back inside the house.

Dinner with Silk and Marvel's father, Silver, was nothing new for Emerald. Silk liked to have her over at least once a week; Emerald figured it was her way of keeping tabs on her son and the girl he associated with.

Silk passes around a basket of bread, and everyone takes a piece except for Marvel, who takes two. Emerald laughs, pushing her nose with her finger, making a pig face at him. "Hey! I'm a growing boy," he laughs, taking one more roll just to spite her, and taking a large bite out of it." Silver pours himself a glass of some liquor Emerald doesn't recognize. He's handsome, but in a strange way, similar to his son. With broad shoulders and a muscular physique, it's obvious that Marvel got his lanky figure from his mother. Silk is the complete opposite of her husband. She's lanky, but deceptively strong, and her face is always in the same smirk as Marvel – in more ways than one, Marvel is definitely his mother's son.

"What's the news from the complex?" Silver asks, swallowing a mouthful of corn. Silk perks up, she always loves to hear the news about the students in training. "Well, Taffeta Goldine was going on yesterday about how she's going to volunteer this year and how her axe wielding will make her victor." Marvel laughs, taking a sip of water before continuing, "Oh, and Bangle Clayton, he was going on about how he waited till this year because he had a 'good feeling about the crop of tributes." Silk shakes her head, a smirk playing on her lips, "their naivety is promising." Everyone laughs, and Emerald can't help but feel sorry for her classmates – it's not their fault that they have false hopes.

"How is your knife throwing, Emerald? I know you expressed some concerns with it the other day." Emerald shakes her head, "nothing has really changed since the last time I practiced, I'm strong, but there's just something missing from my throwing…I just can't seem to perfect it." "Her skills with the spear is improving, though, and that's something seeing as she's already one of the best," Marvel chimes in. She turns and smiles at him, he squeezes her hand underneath the table. Silk and Silver both nod, "Yes, I've heard lots about your ability with spears, Emerald. I think it was just last Tuesday when one of the trainers down at the complex said you had the best arm of the year 12 girls, and boys actually." Emerald grins, receiving Silk's approval feels like getting the capitol stamp of approval – if a past victor, someone who proved herself to be cunning and deadly, thinks she's talented, it must mean she has a chance to win.

The rest of their dinner goes by without a hitch. Emerald's lucky that Marvel's parents actually approve of her, most relationships in District One suffer from the disapproval of one or both of the involved parties' parents. They finish dinner, and they all help to clear the table before settling in the living room. Emerald spots a set of suitcases near the front door, and she points them out, "Are you all going somewhere?" "Not me," Marvel shakes his head. "Mother and father have to go to the capitol for some banquet," Silk elaborates, "it's the banquet for the victory tour in the capitol, it's a beautiful affair." Emerald nods, letting her mind wander to the luxuries of the capitol, and letting herself imagine the splendor she would have access to when she finally won – she would finally get to see the capitol.

When it's finally time for her to return home, she wishes Silk and Silver well in their travels. Marvel walks her to the door, kissing her softly. He breaks from the kiss and whispers in her ear, "come by tomorrow, they'll be gone by ten." She looks up at him, nodding silently. He gives her one last kiss, his strong hands cupping her face. On the walk home, she can't stop thinking about Marvel's implications: she had never been fully alone with Marvel in a bedroom; they'd never had a house to themselves. Was she ready? She wasn't sure.


	5. First Time

The next morning, Emerald wakes up drenched in sweat. _Stop freaking out, be calm. _She climbs into the shower, letting the hot water wash away all her anxieties for the day ahead. _You're ready, and if you're not…Marvel will understand._ Climbing out, she stands in front of her dresser, trying to find what to wear. _What does it matter? It's not like it'll be staying on for long._ She lets out a nervous snort at the thought of being naked in front of someone else. It's not that they hadn't done things, because they had, but they always had to be extremely careful. They made sure to never be completely nude so that their family would never catch them in a completely compromising position. She finally decides on a dress, a hand-me-down from Glimmer, somehow she felt that wearing Glimmer's old dress would bring her some good luck in love.

It's well past ten, and so she doesn't even bother knocking or acting cautious. Emerald walks into the mansion, taking time to admire the photos on the wall: Silk and Silver's wedding portrait, Marvel as a new-born, Marvel holding his first spear, etc. "Admiring me?" Her head snaps up and she grins, seeing Marvel smirking from the kitchen doorway. "More like wondering how something so cute could have turned into someone so cocky," he laughs, pulling her in for a kiss. He puts his hands on her waist, and she wraps her arms around his neck. They kiss passionately for a bit, but the mood is ruined when Emerald's stomach growls. They both laugh, and he shakes his head at her, "you and your appetite," she blushes, and they walk into the kitchen.

As someone who is wealthy herself, she can appreciate just how _loaded_ Marvel and his family is. Her family has never had to go hungry, they've always had access to food, but they've never had access to the type of food Marvel is accustomed to. She helps herself to rolls, rolls from districts one to three, and they snack on plums from eleven and salmon from four. "Pick your victim," she glances over at him, smirking. It's a game they play, a sick one at that, but it's what they do for fun. They ask each other who, out of their fellow classmates, peers, and possible volunteer pool, they'd want to kill first if they were in the arena with them. He laughs, "Definitely Chiffon, she's probably the most irritating girl in my year. I'd have no problem throwing a spear right through her heart…or neck," Emerald nods, "neck would be a better hit, it'd be more painful for her, more brutal." She thinks for a moment, "But wouldn't you want a challenge I mean, Chiffon has some talent, she's strong, but wouldn't you rather want to go against someone like Gloss' daughter, Rhine? She's got a killer instinct and she's amazing in hand-to-hand." He nods, mulling over the possibility for a while. He shrugs, "you're probably right, I'd want more of a challenge." He leans over and kisses her, "now, you go." She laughs, "Bangle Clayton, without a doubt. I'd break his arms and legs and dig my spear in so slowly, by the end he'd be begging for me to finally finish him off." Marvel looks at her, a weird expression on his face, she looks at him, raising her eyebrows, "what?" He smiles, kissing her again, "I just love your killer instinct. It's incredibly sexy." She smiles, moving closer to him and kissing him passionately. It was true that she had a killer instinct; one that was probably on par with his, their similarities in their ruthlessness was one of the reasons they worked so well together.

They both lie on his bed. She rests her head on his chest and he has his arm wrapped around her, rubbing her arm with his thumb. "Who do you think is the best girl in your year?" He thinks for a moment, and smiles, "honestly? Your sister." Emerald looks up at him, confused, "she's not amazing at any one weapon, though," he shrugs, "no, but I've seen her in hand-to-hand and with swords, and she can hold her own. Plus, she's got the same ruthlessness you have," he kisses her on the nose, "she's not afraid to kill without so much as a second glance." _Weird_, she thinks. She'd always thought of her sister as just a pretty face, she had never really paid attention to her training. She doesn't even bother to ask who the best boy is in his year, she knows it's him.

After a while of them making small talk, wrapped up in each other's arms, she realizes she think she might be ready. He hasn't pressured her once since they came to his room, and that's what makes her trust him all the more. "Marvel?" She tilts her head to look up at him, and he stops the windshield-wiping motions he had been making on her arm, looking down at her, "yeah?" She doesn't say anything else; instead, she removes herself from his arms and sits up on the bed. She leans down, placing her hand on his chest, feeling the solidity of his muscles, and smiling to herself. She kisses him. It starts out softly, sweetly, but morphs into a more passionate kiss as he gets into it, wrapping his arms around her neck and pulling her close to him.

She breaks from the kiss and she looks at him, cupping her hands around his face and rubbing his cheek with her thumb. She smiles down at him, and slowly sits up, pulling her shirt over her head, placing it to the side. She leans back down, and he places his hands on her waist, running his hands up and down her bare sides. He shifts so that he's sitting more upright, and as they kiss, he begins unbuttoning his shirt. She shakes her head, "no, let me," she bites her lip, willing her hands not to shake, as she finishes unbuttoning his shirt. She runs her hands underneath the fabric, letting her hands explore his chest. She finds herself growing more excited as she feels the chiseled contours of his body underneath her soft hands. She pushes the shirt off of his shoulders and he shrugs out of it. He reaches behind her back and unclasps her bra, and she lets it slide off herself. He pulls her closer, so that their bodies are mashed together, his hands roaming her figure as soft moans escape her lips. She realizes how much she loves this, how much she loves being able to be with him completely and freely. He kisses her neck, and she runs her fingers through his hair, whispering her requests in his ear.

When finally she can hold off no longer, she pulls away from their embrace and leans back, standing up so she can slip her pants off. He follows suit. His eagerness to remove his pants is endearing, he fumbles with the zipper, and she tries not to laugh. When they're finally both completely nude, she finds she can no longer laugh, because nothing about this is funny anymore. They both look at each other for a moment, and she can feel his eyes roaming her body. She sits back down on the bed, and he rolls her onto her back so that he's hovering over her, his elbows supporting his weight. He kisses her, and she nods, quietly whispering, "I'm ready."

She wakes up a few hours later wrapped in Marvel's arms. Her body is fit perfectly into his, their shapes cupping each other. She moves her head slightly to get a good look at his face. She smiles, there's something so adorable about Marvel when he sleeps. His usual smirk is replaced by a slight smile, and he looks so vulnerable and childlike. She is overcome by emotion in that one moment, and she realizes just how much she loves him. She kisses him softly, and his eyes flutter open. He smiles down at her groggily and hugs her to him. "I have to go home," she says quietly, turning so that she's facing him, their bodies still pressed together. "No," he shakes his head, and she laughs. "I have to, and you need to go to the complex, you have a session with Gleam today." He nods, he knows she's right. She kisses him again, nuzzling against him quickly before pulling away. "I'll see you tomorrow," she smiles, putting her clothing back on and getting her things together.

She can't stop beaming the entire walk home.


	6. The Conversation

"You're going easy on me!" She shoves him, exhaling quickly. She wipes a bead of sweat off her brow and leans over, trying to catch her breath. "I'm not!" He's quick to defend himself, making himself look even guiltier. "Yes you are, you're going easy on me and you know how much I hate that." He runs a hand through his hair, exasperated, "you're being ridiculous, Em. You get mad when you lose but you don't like it when you win?" She hits him, and he throws his hands up in exasperation, "Em, just give it a rest. Let me rest and then we can spar again, I won't let you win." She glares, "good, you better not. If I win, I want to know I'm winning because I'm good, not because you feel sorry for me." She goes over to grab some water and he follows after her, "I don't feel sorry for you, you got a few great hooks in there. You're just not as experienced in hand-to-hand as I am, it'll come in time." She shakes her head, "don't patronize me, Marvel." He groans, obviously fed up. "You're being ridiculous, Em. I'm going to go, I'm done right now." He grabs his stuff, packing it up and he walks out, leaving her to drink her water alone in the padded room.

A buzz indicating the door is opening alerts her of a new visitor. She turns around and sees Ivory walking into the room. "Emerald," she crosses the room, making long strides. "We need to talk." Emerald looks at her, confused. "About?" Ivory grabs her arm and pulls her out another door into the gallery. They sit on the bleacher-like seats; Emerald looks through the big window out into the combat room she was just in. She looks back at Ivory, "what's up?" Ivory leans in, "you need to be smart about your romance, Emerald." Emerald raises her eyebrows, taken aback, "excuse me, but I think-" Ivory shakes her head, "you're young, you don't know what to think. Listen to me, I've been your trainer for twelve years now, I care about you, I can see where this is headed and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't warn you." Emerald looks up at her, confused, _what is she talking about?_ "You and Marvel, you're being too public." "I don't see how that's anyone's business, we don't make a big show of our relationship, we barely kiss in public," Ivory shakes her head again, "you don't understand, just being together is public enough. The capitol has eyes _everywhere_. They know you're together." "I still don't see where you're going with this, what do they care that Marvel and I are together?"

Ivory clasps Emeralds hands in her own. "My dear, Marvel will be reaped this year." "How do you know-?" Ivory cuts her off, motioning for her to be quiet with her finger, "Marvel will be reaped this year, and you need to seriously consider the possibility of facing him in that arena. Will you be able to do it?" Emerald looks at her, her mouth open, shock on her face. "Why are you saying this? Ivory, what do you know?" Ivory looks at her, a pained expression crossing her beautiful face, "I just need you to think about it, really think. Would you be able to kill him in the arena?" "In the off chance that I was reaped, someone would volunteer. We _always_ have volunteers." Ivory shakes her head again, putting a hand on Emerald's shoulder. "Who do you think would volunteer? No one. In the end, the Hunger Games is all a big show, and what would be better than pitting two lovers against each other?" Emerald shakes her head, attempting to clear the fog of information from her mind. "Ivory, you're being paranoid, the reapings are random. You can't guarantee Marvel will be reaped, and the chances of me being in the arena with him, if he were to be reaped, are so slim." Emerald shakes her hands off of her, "I have to go back home." Emerald stands up, brushing past Ivory and gathering her things quickly from the other room. As Emerald walks out the room and out of the training complex, Ivory watches on, a sympathetic and tragic look on her face.

As soon as Emerald leaves the training complex, she breaks out into a run. As much as she'd like to forget everything Ivory said, her words have a slight ring of truth to them. _What if Marvel is reaped? Even if he isn't reaped, he'll volunteer. It's his last year, it's his duty. It's what he's been training for since infancy._ But still, she wouldn't be reaped. She was nowhere near ready. No. She will volunteer next year and she will win, and she and Marvel will have their house in the village, and when she returns they will be together.

She avoids any conversation with Ivory at any of their training sessions the rest of the month. She goes to the complex, trains, and then leaves. She refuses to hear more of Ivory's warnings that will prove to be unnecessary in the end. Still, she makes a concerted effort to not be as open with her relationship with Marvel as she used to be.

Emerald packs her bag up, rubbing her shoulders. It was an especially rough training day today, with Ivory knocking her to the ground and winding her several times. It was all she could do not to run out and ditch training completely, but no, she stuck it out, and she was now feeling the full effects of the beating. Marvel walks up, rubbing the back of her neck with his hand. "Hey, come on, let's get you home." She nods, and he grabs her duffel bag for her. Normally, she wouldn't let him get her things, she'd insist on getting them herself, but today she was so sore that she let him.

The walk back home is mostly quiet, but that's how she wants it. Occasionally, he glances over at her, studying her intent expression and silence. They reach her house, and she grabs her duffel bag, opening the door with her key and walking indoors. He follows her inside, up the stairs, and into her room. She leaves her duffel bag on the floor, and turns to look at him. He's looking at her expectantly and she knows why: he wants an explanation for her weeklong silence. She walks over to him, pulling the duffel bag off his shoulder and placing it on the floor. "I've been weird this week, I know." He nods, and she wraps her arms around his neck, "It's just something Ivory said...it's been weighing on my mind." "What did she say?" Emerald walks over to her bed and lies back on it, Marvel follows her, sitting down next to her. "What did she say?" She shrugs, "she said that you'll be reaped, and that the capitol…that they know we're together." Marvel laughs, "so what? So what if I'll be reaped? I mean, I'd much rather volunteer, but being reaped will work too. What does it matter that the capitol-" She stops him, holding up her hand, "Marvel, I'm not finished." He stops, leaning back on his elbows, "alright…" "Marvel, she says that I'll be reaped too. She asked me to consider if I'd be willing to go against you in the arena."

Marvel throws his head back and laughs. Emerald looks up at him, a look of surprise on her face. He shakes his head, "how does she even know that? She can't, it's impossible. And even if you were reaped, there'd be girls jumping over themselves to take your place." He leans in and kisses her, "your time will come next year, then you can join me as a winner in the village."

She decides to drop it, to not push the subject further, to not tell Marvel just how wrong he is about volunteers for her. She kisses him, and decides to believe that Ivory was being paranoid and that her words were nothing more than a conspiracy theory against the capitol.


End file.
